Adjustable brake-beam.



Nu. 645,8!0. Patented Mar. 20', I900. J. F. HENN ESSY.

ADJUSTABLE BRAKE BEAM.

v (Application filed Sept. 7, i899. (No Model.)

WITNESS S, INVENTOH m: 6am: PETERS co, FNOTGL'ITHO, WASHINGTON n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT FEIcE.

JOHN F. HENNESSY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,810, dated March 20, 1900. Application filed September '7, 1899. Serial No. 729,754. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HENNESSY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented oertain new and useful Improvements in Adj ust= able Brake-Beams; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable brake-beams; and it consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my complete invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same, taken on the line a: on of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view, with parts broken away and enlarged, showing one of the sections of the beam in section; and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of one of the binding-bolts.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple, practical, and durable brake-beam which may be readily adjusted along its length, whereby the brake-shoes carried by ,the same may be properly adjusted in respect to one another; and it consists of a turnbuckle, the opposite ends of which are pro- Vided with screw-threaded openings, a brakebeam made of two sections, each of which is provided with screw-threaded adjacent ends, each of which is adapted to be received by the screw-threaded opening formed in said turnbuckle, screw-threaded bolts, alsocarried by said turnbuckle and passing through the walls which form said screw-threaded openings, the inner ends of said bolts being adapted to cooperate with the screw-threaded portions of the two sections of the brake-beam in such a manner as to securely hold the same in their proper and adjusted position, and in other details in the construction, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a turnbuckle, the opposite ends of which are provided with screw-threaded openings 2, which are adapted to receive the screw threaded adjacent ends of the sections 3, which form the brake-beam, together with the turnbuckle when the parts are properly assembled, the outer ends of said sections be ing formed in the usual manner and carrying the usualbrake-shoes 4.

In order to hold the sections 3, forming the brake-beam, in their proper position in re spect to one another after they have been adjusted within the turnbuckle 1, binding-bolts 5 are employed, which are preferably four in number, which pass through screw-threaded openings formed for their reception in the walls which form the large screw-threaded openings of the turnbuckle, the lower engaging ends of which are adapted to be brought in binding contact with the screw-threads formed on the sections 3 of the brake-beam.

The lower ends of the binding-bolts 5 are provided with radially-arranged V-shaped cutting-teeth 6, which when brought in contact with the threads formed on the sections 3 of the brake-beam cut a depression or cavity in said threads, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, whereby it is impossible for the sections 3 to turn independently of one another when the arm 7, secured to one of said sections, is moved in either direction for applying or releasing the brake-shoes 4:, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the brake-beam is suspended from the vehicle or carriage by suitable bearings 8, which embrace the sections 3 of said beam, which is arranged in the usual manner.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. A brake-beam, comprising a turnbuckle, having screw-threaded openings formed in the opposite ends of the same, two sections having screw-threads .formed thereon, and

adapted to be received by said screw-threaded openings of the turnbuckle, binding-bolts carried by said turnbuckle adjacent to the 0pposite ends of the latter, the inneror contacting ends of which are provided with radially-arranged \I-shaped cutting-teeth, and adapted to cut a cavity in the threads formed on said sections, as and for the purpose described.

2. Abrake-beam, comprising two sections, screw-threads formed on the adjacentends of the same, a turnbuckle, having screw-threaded openings formed in the opposite ends of the latter, and adapted to receive the screwthreaded ends of the sections, and bindingbolts carried by the walls of the turnbuckle,

forming the openings of the same, the inner In testimony whereof I affix my signature ends of which are adapted1 to be brought in in presence of two witnesses. binding contact with t e screw-threads 1 a formed on said sections, and form a cavity 2 JOHN HLNNBSSY' 5 therein to prevent the sections from turning Witnessesi independently of one another, substantially ALFRED" A. MATHEY, as described. 0. F. KELLER. 

